1-Day in Curacao

As part of our Southern Caribbean cruise with Royal Caribbean we stopped at the beautiful island of Curacao. We had 1-day in Curacao to explore the island and immerse ourselves in as much of the culture as possible in that short time. We learned a lot about the history of the island, saw some of the highlights and had a fantastic time. Below I’ve shared how we spent our 1-day in Curacao and a brief overview of the island (from what I retained from our tour guide!).

About the Island of Curacao

The island of Curacao is part of the “ABC Islands – Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao and part of the Dutch Caribbean. They are famous for their blue liqueur, beaches and coral reefs. The capital of Willmestad is also well known for the brightly coloured building reminiscent of the tall buildings in Amsterdam. It also has a famous pontoon bridge that connects the two areas of the city on either side of the harbour.

Discover Curacao Excursion

We did the Discover Curacao shore excursion that took us to 3 of Curacao’s top attractions. The excursion was booked through the Royal Caribbean website a few months before we set sail. The cost was probably higher than booking something locally, but it was very convenient to book through the website and keep all my travel information together. To maximize our 1-day in Curacao we booked the earliest excursion possible and then explored on our own after the tour.

The Curacao Museum

The first stop on the tour was the Curacao Museum. This museum is located in an old colonial style building and houses some of the antique items from the history of the island. These antiques included things like pottery, artwork, home goods, sewing machines, and furniture. The museum also has the largest carillon which is a musical instrument that looks like an organ but actually uses bells. It was still functioning and our guide played a few chords for us. While we visited there was a school group also on a tour so this is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike.

Overall review: If you only have 1-day in Curacao I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit this museum, but if it’s included in your tour it’s a nice way to learn about the history of the island.

Visiting the Hato Caves

Next stop on the tour was a stop at the Hato Caves. The caves are located on the north side of the island – and very close to the airport, which we passed along the way. The caves have been open to the public since the early 1990s and had numerous upgrades to make it accessible to the public. Though, it isn’t fully accessible as there are 49 very steep steps to get to the entrance of the cave. It took millions of years for these caves to be formed and they are made up of marine coral limestone and ancient stalactites and stalagmites. The tour guide told us that there were inhabitants of these caves that date back 1,500 years ago! After you’ve visited the caves you can explore the gardens and onsite park or visit the bar onsite.

Overall review: We enjoyed visiting the caves and thought the history behind them was extremely interesting. You’re not able to take photos or videos in most of the cave system, but there is one chamber where photos and video are permitted. If you have 1-day in Curacao, definitely add this to your itinerary!

Landhuis Chobolobo

The last stop was at Landhuis Chobolobo also known as the Blue Curacao distillery. We got a tour of the distillery and learned about the history of Curacao and how it is made. At the end of the tour we got to sample three of the liqueurs they produce – chocolate, tamarind and curacao – all of which were tasty. The tour was quite busy and there were lots of tourists visiting.

Overall review: It was a rushed experience and I didn’t feel like we had enough time to experience the distillery of browse in the shop. If you’re visiting and have 1-day in Curacao you definitely need to try the liqueur named after this beautiful island.

Exploring Willemstad

Once we finished our tour of the island we were dropped off in front of the Rif Fort downtown Willemstad. From there we could walk back to the ship at our own pace or explore the city. We chose to explore and found many shops, restaurants and attractions geared toward locals and tourists. There is a large “Curacao” sign that is a great spot for travel photos. We also found the Curacao Floating Market where farmers and fisherman from Venezuela come to sell their produce and seafood. The boats are parked along the dock and their stands are loaded with their goods. There are supply boats arriving each day to restock the market.

Overall review: the city of Willemstad is a colourful city and everyone we met was very nice. The streets were packed and did seem to cater mostly to tourists. I’d definitely go back to enjoy this colourful area of the island.

Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge

We crossed over the famous Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge and were lucky we timed our walk just right! This pontoon bridge connects two areas of Curacao and frequently opens to let ships pass into the harbour. For small boats it might only take 15 minutes, but for large boats it could take up to 45 minutes or more. And you can get stuck on this pedestrian bridge!

Travel Tip: Make sure you pay attention to the flags if you’re planning to walk across. They do have pedestrian ferries that will bring you across during the longer bridge openings. You wouldn’t want to miss your cruise because you’re stuck on a bridge.

1-Day in Curacao Experience

Overall enjoyed our 1-day in Curacao. Our tour gave us some great highlights of the island, but we could have easily spent more time there. The island life seemed very appealing with beautiful weather, colourful buildings and friendly locals. I hope to get back there one day for a longer visit.